Float-valve mechanism.



H. T. HEATH.

FLOAT VALVE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.22. 1917.

Patented 4, 1919.

HOWARD T.HEATH, or stem, ILLINOIS.

FLOAT-VALVE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

"a lication filed August 22, i917. Serial n. 187,694. v

To all whom di may concern;

Be it known that'I, HOWARD .T.'HEATH,

a citizen of the United States, residing in Elgin, in the countyrof Kaneand State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvementsin Float-Valve Mecha- V nisms,-of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to that class. of float valve mechanisms whichare adapted to be used for controlling the level of liquid in acontainer, such for instance as a flush tank.

The principal object of the inventionis to provide a simple, economioaland eflicient float valve mechanism. 7

Other and further objects of the invention will appear from anexamination of the following description and claims, and from aninspection of the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof.

The invention consists in the features, combinations, parts and detailsof construction herein described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is afviewinvertical section of afloat valve mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention andimprovements,showing the same .in a tank, with-a portion of the tankomitted--the float valve being shown in full lines in lowered passageopening position; and in broken lines in raised or passage-closingposition; and

Fig. 2 is a similar v1ew of ajmodified form of my improved float valvemechanism or liquid-level-controllingdevice, showing a conduitorpipeadapted to admit liquid to the container, from above. In constructing afloat valve mechanism or liquid-levelrcontrolling device in accordancewith 1 my invention and improvements, I provide a liquid inlet orsupply" conduit or pipe 1 which is mounted inposition to extend into aliquid-container in the form of a flush tank or reservoir 2. Theliquidcontainer may be of any desired, well known or suitable form, andit is not deemed necessary or desirable to describe the same in detail,in order to enable thoseskilled in the art to understand and use theinvention. The pipe lextends into the tank, or is so constructed andarranged that, allor a portion of said pipe ,is located inside of thetank .and in vertical or upright position, when the 'device'is inoperation or'in use.

The upright upper portion 'ofthe pipe is provided with a seriesofdischarge openings :3 1n the periphery thereof. These openings arelocated in progressive orsuccessive order lengthwise or longitudinallyof the pipe, oriin diflerent horizontal planes, the

uppermost opening being at or above the highest level to which it isintended that the water or liquid shall be permitted to rise in thetank, and the lowermost of'the series of inlet openings being locatedbelow the level of the surface of the water when the latter is at itshighest predetermined level in the tank. a

One end of the pipe is closed by suitable means, which may be of anydesiredknown or suitable form; and the pipe is connected at 1t s otherextremlty with a suitable source of water supply, such, for instance, asa water main containlng, water under pressure. In the form of the-deviceshown in Fig. 1, the lower extremity of the pipe 1 is provided with athreaded head or coupling member 4,.which may be made in one integralpiece with the body of the pipe,

and isin threaded engagement with a tubular member or pipe 5 secured inwater tight engagement with the bottom or lower wall of the tank andadapted to form a passage leading from a source of water supplyandcommunicat ng with the liquid inlet passage 6 formed by the pipe 1-. yThe upper extremity of the pipe 1 shown in Fig. 1 is provided with ahollow, preferably bell-shaped hood or canopy 7 .having an upperannularthreaded cap or plug 8 at the axial center of thehood and in threadedengagement withthe threaded. upper. end portion Qofthe pipe 1, andforming a 010- sure for said pipe.

This bell-shaped hood is, by preference, in

the form of an inverted cup or hell; and its bottom annular rim or edge10 encircles the pipe 1 at a point below the level of the highest planeto which the water is to be permitted to rise in the tank. The bottom ofthe hood is open, andthe bottom opening 11 or open bottom extremity ofthehood is sufliciently large in diameter to admit a part and, bypreference, the main body portion of a floa't valve 12 which is slidablymountedupon. and encircles the pipe 1. Th s float ,,valve compr1ses 1nits construction an annular valve sleeve port1on13' which is imperforateand, encircles andis in slidable engagement with thepipe 1, and isconnected at the opposite extremities of said sleeve with the outerfloat which is by 5 preference in the form of'a hollow casing encirclingthe sleeve 13, and adaptedtoform a closed air-tight chamber 14 ofsuitable dimensions to cause the float valve to be raised from lower,passageeopeningposition, in which it is shown infull lines in Fig. 1,to raised passage-closing position,'in which it isindicated in brokenlines in r-said figure, when the water admitted into 'the'tank throughthe openings?) reaches the highest 15 predetermined level to which it isto be allowed to rise in the tank. The position ofthe surface of thewater when at 'the'high level last mentioned, is indicated by thebrokenline15 in Fig.

The valve sleeve has a packing boxes or chambers 16 and 17 at itsopposite ends. These packing boxes may be made in one integral piecewith the valve sleeve, by enlarging or expanding the oppositeextremities of the sleeve, and are, by preference, ta-

pered, sothat eachis of smaller diameter at itsouter end than atitsinner end. Suitable packing material 1S is forced into and, compressedin each packing boX, so to fit 80 snugly in water tightrbut slidableengage ment with the pipe 1, and forma tapered annular packing ringwhich encircles the p pe and fills thetapered, annular chamber formed bythetapered Walls of thepaoking 36 box. These packing rings maybe made ofany "desired packing material suitable for packing the oppositeextremities of thevalve so as to permit the valve ,to ,be raised bymeans ofthe wateradmitted into the tank 40 through the openings 3 so;asto cl ose said v enings progressively or successively ;until all a eclosed at :thefmomentiwhen, he Wa er reaches the highest level which it-is.to be ,pe mitted re ch, and Pre n kag I prefer to employ-acompressible packing material impregnated with oil :and fOICQd into thepacking chamber unde heavy hydraulic, pressure, and adapted ,to 3provide a ,wateretight packing which l .PIOdHCe as little friction aspossibleconsistentwith the objects to be accomplished- The hoodloribellshaped.cup 7 torms an ai mbe 1.8, the bett m of whi is c sed nd sealedby a liqu ea whe he ,float valve 12 is raised to passage closingposition. or ,in the operation ofclosingthe passages, and th Wateradmitted through the vopenings 3 reaches-a level as highior ahigher thanthe bottom rim or edge ofthe hood. When theLfioat alve hasbeenraised .topassage-closing position, as shown in oken in i g-" y n heb tt m Qpenvingis partially filledbythe float valve and sealed with a liquid seal,it is pla n that the ,air confined in the chamber 18 betweenthe-the-floatvalve dowvnward. The float valve is thus moved downward fromits upperniost passage-closing position by air pressure and by theaction of gravity, when the watercontalned 1n the tank is perinittedtoescape sons to lower the water level below theievel indicatedby the line15.

The tank 2, maybe provided with an outlet. opening at 19" which may be,controlled by any desired ordinary and well known forin of valvemechanism, and may have an overflow passage 20. It is obvious,'howeverthat my improveddeviceis adapted to operate' in or in connection withniany different forms of liquid container, and that the containermay beof any desired known or suit ab e Qrm- A I .In Fig. 2 isshown amodification of my improveddevicejinwhich a pipe 21, having a. closed'bottom end 122 and having its upper extremity connected with a liquidsupply pipe '23 which is adapted to be connected with a source of watersupply, and having a series of discl argeopenings 2a in said pipe 21, ismonntedlin upright position in atank V 25, the bottom of thefpipe21beingisecured to the bottom oft-he by means of a a threaded boss 26, orsimilar or other desired secu ing m an h [Pip 2 is co n d with thesupply pe 23 bymeanso'f a nipple i or connection2g which'is'in'threaded-engagement with the ends of said-pipes, and fixed toabell-shaped cup orhood 28 which surrounds the pipe above the openings;24 and, extends 'downward to a point below the level of thelowermjostgof said openiiigsfso 'thatall-of the openings arefvvithinfthehood 'ustasthe oaenin s3 are witliin'and sur- 1., .l.. ...t:

rounded by the hoodj'Z, already described. ,A i float valve 12,whichmay'be'identical allrespectsw th' h fl v e sh g- 1 is slidablymounted on'thefpipe 21, and ad pt flto qp te int s m manner as the floatvalve l2-already described, and

s w injFi Trhefdis i rg .Qp n ng i3i n 2. are e c much s nallerin areaor cross-fs'ection than ,th el e pqndmg Pa sag wi h 'y' c mmunic te- Wih he e-re a v y sm QP$Ilill rrange i prvsif v e0 ciiti ord ensthw s .oth i let P p .in h .n ripl erye Wh th y ar l a the full volume 91 Watercontaineddn the n tpip w hat. isto say, r lum g as equal {to the full,jcapacity of the pipee may be .pennitted to pa s t rough the p ing whenthe entire. series, of openings are open, an the P es ure inayfbefe fgrea ii cd sirable ,Practice, and yet the float valve will operate to closeeach discharge openfing successively in its order until all are 1 Copiesof this patent may be obtained for closed and the flow of water throughsaid passages and into the liquid-container is stopped in an efiicientmanner.

I claim:

1. In a valve mechanism of the class described, the combination of aliquid supply pipe provided with a series of discharge openings in theperiphery thereof adapted to discharge liquid into a liquid container,

a float valve encircling and in slidable engagement with said pipe andacting to open and close said openings successively, and a hood mountedabove the float valve and forming an air chamber having an open bottomportion adapted to admit the upper portion of the float valve when thelatter is in raised position, the bottom of the hood being in positionto be sealed by liquid surrounding the float valve when said liquidreaches adesired predetermined level.

2. In a valve mechanism of the class described, the combination of aliquid inlet pipe provided with a series of peripheral dischargeopenings located in successive order lengthwise of the'pipe and adaptedto discharge liquid into a liquid container, a liquid container intowhich said pipe eX- tends, a float valve located in said liquidcontainer and encircling and in slidable engagement with said pipe andadapted to open and close said peripheral openings successively, and abell-shaped hood encircling said pipe above said openings and HOWARD T.HEATH.

Witnesses:

HARRY IRWIN PRoMnR, W. HARDING.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington,D. 0.

